Rath
Rath, also known as the Firelord, King of Flame, Emperor of Fire, is the Elemental Lord and master of Fire Elementals on his home-world of Vantis. He, along with the other Lords of Vantis, once maintained harmony upon the world up until the corruption of Ora, the Lord of Ice. After being summoned to Azeroth, he resides in the depths of Grim Batol where he slowly rejuvenates his power in the hopes of putting an end to Night's influence once and for all. Biography Ancient History Vantis had been ruled by the Elemental Lords of Vantis since its formation millennia ago. In the beginning, the Lords disputed over the lone massive continent which sat in the middle of the planet. To avoid conflict, the benevolent Lord of Rock dug his hands deep into the earth and with a malevolent earthquake, split the continent in two. Ora and the Lord of Wind were given dominion over the land which drifted North, which Rath and the Lord of Earth gained dominion over the continent which drifted South. Together, the Lords of Flame and Rock spawned mountains and volcanoes; temperate islands and deserts, and carved out regions for the Realms of Men to live out in relative comfort. During this period of expansion in growth amongst humanity, the Lords watched over the sentient beings, lending their aid where needed. This relationship between Man and Element would begin the religion which majority of the Southern Continent adhered to. Humanity's golden age would come with the emergence of the Vutmani Empire, which Rath himself lend the most aid. The Vutmani would often call upon Rath to return to the surface from his seat under the highest mountain, to vanquish their foes. His involvement in mortal affairs ceased once the Vutmani had managed to gain dominion over the entirety of the South. Yet still, and generations on, his name was praised and worshiped; for their piety, he would often grant their warriors immense powers from the flame in times of dire need. Akachi Invasion Millenia later, to the North, where the opposing Elements had forged their land, Ora had forged a land of immense cold and cruelty. Under the influence of an Old God who had crashed into the Northern Continent, Ora corrupted the land and clan leaders. The leaders would swear their allegiance and worship the Old God under threat of annihilation otherwise. ]]Ora then forced the clan leaders to unite under the Akachi banner and decree they sail and conquer the Southern Continent. Once enough ships were built, Akachi men set sail and landed upon Southern shores. Conflict arose as the migrants brought their barbarism and unsavory culture to the South, prompting the first clash between the two nations. Routinely, Rath was called upon to defend the Vutmani in great battles. His most prominent appearance being at the Battle of the Afari Mountains . The First War of Men marked the first major conflict between the continents of Vantis and spelled an end of the once harmonious relations between the Elemental Lords. Chaos ensued as men, culture and primordial minions of the Lords clashed. Having been far more advanced than their enemies, the conflict quickly fell into the Southerner's favor, until the corrupted Ora personally joined the fray. Enraged, Rath himself alongside the Lord of Earth confronted Ora who had since consumed and merged with the Lord of Wind. Whilst the Realms of Men battled across the Southern Continent, the Lords met in the cold North to fight until the end. Battle for Vantis Under the Old God's influence, every attack the corrupted Ora threw broke away a piece of the icy continent she'd shaped. Across the entirety of it did the three Lords battle. With the Old God's influence empowering her tenfold, Ora drew upon its dark energy to fire a blast which tore into the Lord of Rock and sent him plummeting down into the ice. With his last breath, the Lord of Earth granted his spirit and essence to Rath. With the fusion of Fire and Rock, he became immensely powerful. Rath and Ora did battle for days on end, coming to an end when the Lord of Flame mustered all that was left of his being to destroy Ora and the shattering the Northern Continent. The continent split into a myriad pieces of its former self, while the lasting influence of Ora was spread upon the land, drowning it in eternal darkness in combination with the lasting effects of the apocalyptic eruption. Retreat Fatigued from the battle, Rath retreated to the depths of Vantis to rest for centuries. In his absence, the darkness from Ora's demise continued to spread, being of pure, icy and corruption spawning in its shade. The Realms of Men, now mostly united and blessed with the might of flame, battled against these beings known only as Others. Every so often in this world of darkness, Rath returned, granting his flame to those in need to guide them in the war against the darkness known as The Night. His haphazard involvement in the affairs of mortals gained him worship from the Realms of Men in absence of greater beings. Centuries of conflict against the relentless forces of The Night eventually weighed on the Realms of Men and the once prosperous kingdoms of the South fell to its influence. Once Old Nan had convinced much of Vantis of the world's impending destruction, the many lasting kingdoms, clans and tribes migrated back to the desolate Northern Continent and left the world in the Great Exodus. Even on the other side of the dimensional gateway, certain clans still praised Rath, in hopes that his flame would guide them through the icy plains they were thrown into upon Azeroth. Azeroth Summoning Descendants from the original clans which migrated to Azeroth and still worshiped Rath, returned to the ritual grounds where centuries ago their ancestors attempted to call upon his flame. The descendants, equipped with several, powerful artifacts and relics managed to perform an extraordinary spell which managed to summon Rath from his domain inside of Vantis, to the cold, hollow depths of Grim Batol. He has since lost much of the grip he once had on reality after being confined to his realm for so long. Category:Characters Category:Demigod